To the editor
In the midst of an uncertain national economy, Somerset County residents are benefiting from a healthy increase in our ratables base that has translated to our largest county tax decrease in a dozen years.
The proposed 2002 Somerset County budget introduced by the Board of Freeholders earlier this month is another chapter in our county’s history of sound fiscal management and strong economic growth.
The biggest news in this budget is a decrease in the county tax rate of 2.35 cents per $100 of assessed valuation (this rate will vary slightly from town to town based on equalized rates). Not only is this the largest county tax drop in 12 years, the new tax rate 37.39 cents is the lowest in Somerset County in two decades.
Our ratables base the total value of real estate and improvements in the county went up $4.35 billion, an increase of 13.7 percent over the previous year, and now totals $36.18 billion. Ratables growth is an indication of a healthy local economy, including a strong housing market, which makes this a desirable place to live.
Our county continues to hold triple-A ratings on bonds and notes from the two major investment ranking services, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s. This is another reflection of the careful money management strategies that the Board of Freeholders and our Finance Department employ.
These include a pay-as-you-go approach to capital purchases, which we have been using since the mid-1990s. This reduces our need to issue long-term bonds for capital expenses such as roads, bridges and equipment.
We also pay down our existing debt in a timely manner. In fact we pay off some of our temporary financing obligations in advance so as to avoid the need for long-term bonding and interest payments.
These strategies have enabled us to earmark more operating funds for the expansion of direct services to residents. For instance, this year we will be adding five temperature-controlled "Hot Shot" delivery trucks to our home-delivered meals program, along with five new drivers. The increase in our senior population has resulted in an unprecedented demand for this service.
We will be funding upgrades at some of our senior centers as part of our ongoing senior initiative. The new budget increases funding for nonprofit service contracts to meet basic human needs such as emergency housing, food and services for people with disabilities. We are continuing to provide support, through in-house management of two local projects, for communities recovering from Hurricane Floyd. Our commitment to local partnerships also is seen in programs such as the Economic Development Improvement Program, the Municipal Planning Partnership grants, the athletic-facilities improvement grants and our support of the municipal Youth Services Commissions.
Somerset County’s nationally acclaimed quality of life, which makes us a popular location for both businesses and families, also is promoted in our budget planning process. We will be opening a fifth county golf course in Branchburg next year, which is funded in our capital budget.
Facilities maintenance and minor renovations at Raritan Valley Community College and the Somerset County Vo-Tech Schools also are part of the county’s capital outlay, along with approximately $19 million this year for road, bridge and traffic safety improvements.
Other 2002 budget items include a special recognition ceremony for World War II veterans that the Freeholders will host in May; the completion of the new Emergency Services Training Academy, slated to open mid-year in Hillsborough; and the relocation and consolidation of our Human Services Department offices into rented space in downtown Somerville this spring.
There is more to the county’s budget than numbers. The Board of Freeholders, county managers and staff are involved in year-round budget planning that focuses on the most efficient and cost-effective way to deliver needed services to our citizens.
If you would like to learn more or if you would like to comment on this year’s budget proposal, I encourage you to attend the public hearing and adoption scheduled for Thursday, March 28, at 6 p.m. in the county administration building in Somerville.You can pick up a copy of this year’s "Citizens’ Guide to the Somerset County Budget" from the Finance Department or Freeholders’ Office any weekday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Review copies have been provided to local libraries and municipal buildings. Or, look for it on our county Web site at www.co.somerset.nj.us.
Hillsborough
Mr. Scherer is a Somerset County Freeholder and chairman of the county’s Finance Committee.